Hearts of the Brave
by Chu.22
Summary: Hearts of the Brave is about a girl named Rena who is going through the struggle of her freshman year of college, alone. Or so she feels. You will see her struggle with metal issues, physical issues. Pain, sadness, happy tears and sad. Love, loss, wanting and all the other emotions we feel. I hope you can relate to this story as I tell it. A lot comes from my own heart and mind


'Rena Alana Valor.' I know, a mouth-full, right?

I looked over my birth name in disgust before running my eyes down the page I had been instructed to fill out; completely ignoring all I was supposed to read and skipping right to the John Hancock.  
Signing my name, I stand and proceed to walk towards the drop box to abandon this monstrosity of an assignment.

As I turned the corner, I collided with a hard surface; falling flat on my butt. 'Great.'

"Ow, what the he-" I lay a hand on my head. 'Well, that's going to be a headache later'.

"You should really watch where you're going, princess." I knew that tone.

That tone belonged to him; The one who thought he was so smart. He was arrogant, smug, self-centered, _**rude**_ and-

"Did you hear me or what?" I was pulled to my feet, also out of my head. I looked up with a glare, what was he doing here?

I yanked my arm away. "I heard you, alright. Get off" My tone was dripping with anger and I wanted him to know it. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"So much anger in such a small," He paused and looked over my chest with a sideways smirk, "Well, relatively small" He chuckled as I sent him a glare. "Why so glum, chum?"

I shifted my weight, my anger began to rise more rapidly. "None of you business, Varian"

I did not want to be around Varian, let alone look at him after what he did. 

**Six Months Ago**

"Esther, I don't think I'm gonna fit in here," Rena exclaimed, directing her hand toward a bunch of guys acting like twelve year olds. "Just _look_ at them, they're abso-" I was cut off by Esther who gave me a look that made me just want to laugh.

"Rena, if you say 'borish', I'm going to lose my mind! Just give it a chance, it's only your first day, gosh." Esther didn't look at me as she spoke, she had mastered what I like to call The Robot Walk. You know how robots have netscreens that pop up in their vision? It was like Esther had a built in netscreen, but it was glued to her hand. I don't know how she does it and doesn't hurt herself. Anywho-

"I'll say what I want _Esther._ " Although my tone was dripping with what seemed like acid sarcasm, I had to smile because I know she hates her name. She prefers Esti, although that sounds like an STD to me..

"I'm just saying that I am-" before I could finish my insult, a hard object came connecting with the left side of my face, knocking me over causing an instantaneous headache.

I grabbed my face and groaned in pain. I could hear people but I was almost scared to open my eyes and increase the pain.

"Are you okay?" was all I heard before two people grabbed either side of me and pulled me up, supporting my weight. Not removing my hand from my face, I open my right eye and look around. Esther was on my left and a boy on my right.

He was tall and strong from what I could tell. No way Esther picked me up alone.

His dark brown eyes stood out against the sun, glistening in the beams making them look almost gold. He had unruly hair, probably from goofing off but from what she could tell with her one _good_ eye, is that his hair was brown with natural highlights; wow he was good loo- wait, what? This guy just hit me in the face with a- come to think of it, I don't know.

I looked around for what had hit me. "Yo, did you hear me? Did I really hit you that hard?" He stifled a laugh. I snapped back to reality and looked at him, removing my hand from my face. "Maybe you should look where the hell you're throwin' shit!"

He seemed a little taken back at my outburst but none the less, he began to laugh and so did his buddies. Esther picked up my things for me, "Are you okay, Rena? That football hit you pretty hard" she handed me my things and I smiled as I took them. If there is one thing Esther learned about me; If I smile while angry, run. Run far away.

"Oh, I'm friggin' peachy. Him on the other hand-" Once again I was interrupted. "Varian."

"Excuse me?" I gave him a rude look as he gestured to himself. "Him has a name, Hims name is Varian."

I stared at him blankly. Did he really think I cared what his name was?

"Okay, _Varian._ Anyone ever tell you that you throw like a girl?" That didn't seem to sit well with him. His faced changed, his mood darkened. His buddies thought I was hilarious, he however, did not.

"Coming from a girl who catches balls with her face, that shouldn't mean much" He placed a cocky hand on his hip as his buddies behind him roared at that the insult.

I adjusted my weight so I was leaning to the side with my hand on my hip, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "And yet it does! So what does that say about your performance?" I eyed him up and down just to add insult to injury. Men hate when you bring up 'performance'.

Before he could speak again, Esther pulled me and my mouth away before I dug myself a hole. "Can't you be cordial for once?" I looked at her astonished.

"He hit me with a _football_! Who's side are you on?!" I pulled my arm from her, walking along side her at my own will. "The side that won't get us in trouble. Switzerland."

"Whatever," I looked back at the mess I just slithered out from. He was still standing there watching us leave. His friend had come up and were talking to him, or should I say _at_ him, since he wasn't really paying attention. Why was he watching still? Weird..

Rena was distracted the whole way to her dorm. Esther was blabbering on about some class she was excited to take. This had been her first choice, she got in and I couldn't blame her for being excited. However, this was my last resort. I wanted out of this town, out of this life and to start a new one. New name, new school, new people.

Who was I kidding, I was never lucky.

Esther however, was very lucky. She was that pretty blonde girl in high school that everyone knew and wanted to be around. She got straight A's, all her teachers loved her and her dad bought her a Mercedes for her fifteenth birthday. Yeah, her _fifteenth_ birthday, not her sixteenth. Lucky bitch. I was lucky to have a bike.

She was skinny but curvy, tall but short compared to others. She was my best friend, but I can't help but feel jealous. My reddish brown hair, my green, yet sometimes blue or yellow eyes compared to her golden locks and eyes that match the sea? Nothing compared to her. No one had ever, but I was so happy she was my friend. She was everything I wasn't; trustworthy and kind.

'Man..' I thought to myself, 'I sound like a lesbian..'. I pulled my thoughts together when we arrived at the front door of our dorm, 'Esther & Rena' written on a white board. Her name in blue and mine in pink. I took my palm and dragged it across the whiteboard, creating lines through the ink. "Yeah, that's not happening."

I heard Esther giggle as I opened the door. It was plain, white walls with pale green borders around the middle of the walls. The twin beds snug in either corner of the room, military sheets. Rena chuckled at that, Esther might look perfect, but boy was she ever a slob. My mother always said, 'A creative mind is rarely tidy'.

I claimed the left side of the room by setting what little things I had brought from the car with me on the bed. At least Esther was my roommate, I guess that was a plus.

I opened up the window that was situated between our beds. I could smell the salty air from the ocean. This town may be a death trap, but at least it was a beautiful death trap.

Before I could do anything else, there was a knock at the door. Esther went to answer and the next thing I know, someone was screaming at an octave level I never thought possible. I slapped my hands over my ears and shut my eyes tight. What the hell?

Two sorority girls who looked like clones of Esther were at our door, welcoming 'Us' to the dorm and- Sorority? I never signed up for that crap. "Esther, whats going on?"

I walked up, opening the door further to see them fully and I swear, one look at me and it's like these girls say the devil. My nose ring, my upper lip piercing, my dull yet colored hair. It was like I grew a beard in 2.5 seconds.

One girl looked me over, disgust written all up and down her face. I threw a look back, then one at Esther.

"Well.." She began. She all of a sudden looked very nervous. "I was meaning to tell you that I-" My eyes grew.

"No.." I took a step back. "Esther, no! You didn't.. Tell me you didn't!" I was pretty shocked. Although, looking at these girls, I don't know why. "Oh, she did."

I turned to a girl who had her arms crossed and her hip poked out with a sideways, cocky smirk. "And I promise you, it's better than this dumpy dorm room. So ugly."

I didn't know what to say, I was speechless and trust me, that did _not_ happen very often. Esther just looked at me and awkwardly laughed. That's about all she could do at this point.

"Rena, I was going to tell you. I didn't think it'd happen so soon…" Esther looked down, feeling guilty over my reaction. I bit my lip and sighed inwardly. I put my hands up as if I was surrendering.

"It's fine. Go. I know how much you love this school and how bad you wanted this." I looked at the girls taking my best friend from me. "You two better be nice to her. I'm not a nice person, she is. Oh, and I don't want another roommate". I crossed my arms at my settlement, but the girl only laughed.

"Oh, don't worry. No one would want to room with you anyways." She flipped her hair and pulled Esther along. Esther waved at me as they trotted down the hall.

"Bitch..". I went back inside and shut the door behind me rather loudly. I was not happy. No, in fact, I was down right pissed. How could she have not let me know I'd be spending freshman year alone in a school where I didn't want to be in the first place.

I sigh, sit on my bed and take out my phone. I bring my finger to drag over the screen to unlock it, but stop at my reflection. "What on Earth.."

Jumping up, I grab a compact mirror from Esther's bag and pop it open. My whole left side was swollen and not just where I was hit either. It looked like I was just slapped by The Rock. My cheek was an assortment of color, mainly red and light purple.

"I can't believe that bruised so fast, what am I gonna do?" I started to panic a little. My first day and I look like a Rihanna. Man, where was Esther when I need her? Oh, with Barbie and her clones. Right.

I stood up, walking out of my dorm and down the hall. I notice a few girls staring, some pointing and whispering. Others just plain avoided eye contact. I shrugged it off, continuing my quest for ice.

I felt like I walked around for two hours or more. I was lost, I didn't know anyone, I had no idea where to find ice and my face hurt. Perfect.

I continued walking and walking. Probably in circles until I heard a voice that seemed familiar. Like, recently familiar.

"Nice shiner, princess." I inwardly groaned. It was that guy again, the one who thought he was so clever.

I turned around to say something and once again, his mood changed. This time however, his look softened. The harsh words about to slip off his tongue dispersed and it almost looked like he was, dare I say- remorseful?

"Wow, that actually looks pretty bad. Have you-" I cut him off this time.

"What? Iced it? No. Because I can't find anything on this dumb campus and my guide was just recruited by Nazi Barbie monsters!" I think he could tell I was upset because he smiled this time and it wasn't cocky nor did it lead me to believe he was verbally trapping me. I was genuine and kind of sweet.

"Nazi Barbie monsters, eh? You must be talking about Sarah, Natalie and Rose. Sarah is the headmaster of the Sorority, or whatever it's called. She's kind of a monster, if that's who you mean." His arms crossed, awaiting my reply which didn't come. I just sat there like a lump, not wanting to converse with me as I was unsure if he was mocking my choice of words or not. I didn't want to argue again, but yet-

He sighed a little. "Look, I'm sorry I hit you and suggested you take balls to the face, happy?" There it was again, that smirk. He dropped his arms and looked me over, all of me, but returned focus to my cheek. "You should get that looked at. Let me take you to the nurse" His hand reached for my arm in what I only assume was a way of comfort, but I pulled away.

"I'm fine. I'll just ice it." No way was I letting him see me like that, vulnerable.

"Are you sure? Because it looks really bad" He chuckled a little. "Like, really bad. I feel bad, but the shot was on point" He shut one eye and used his hands and thumbs to 'frame' my face, like he was using a camera.

"You're a real prick, you know that?" I sent a glare his way and turned my back on him. My intention was to storm off all pissy, but he had other plans. His arm slithered around mine and he yanked me back toward him. Letting a gasp slip, I pulled away from him so quickly, I almost fell over.

"Whoa whoa, easy." He said with a laugh, "Never got that reaction before."

"Maybe because all the girls here are brainwashed and don't see your neanderthalic side." I spit those words out like fire water, turned on my heels and stomped off. This time, succeeding.

"What an ass. I can find the nurse by myself!" I walked into the main building, looking down either hallway. Left, right…

"Well, at least I think I can"


End file.
